1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to emulsifiers for the preparation of emulsions of essential oils or mixtures thereof with other oils or fatty bases used in cosmetics or medicine.
2. Discussion of the Background
Formulations of this type find manifold use in bath oils, bath emulsions (bath milk) and cosmetic cleansing fluids which contain essential oils. Since some of the essential oils also have antiseptic actions, the invention also targets medical bath or embrocation fluids. The oil phase of these fluids can be either emulsified or solubilized, which is frequently achieved by higher emulsifier concentrations.
Emulsions of this type have been marketed for a long time. The emulsifiers used are surfactants, for example alcohol sulphates, betaines, oxethylates of fatty alcohols, phosphoric acid esters, sorbitan esters, etc. or mixtures thereof. Because of the particular cosmetic or medical use of these oil-in-water emulsions, an exceptionally high skin and mucosa tolerance is a prerequisite for the emulsifiers used.